Method of making shafts for golf clubs and the like



Jan. 9, 1934.

l.. A. YOUNG METHOD OF MAKING SHAFTS FOR GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKEOriginal Filed Oct. 30, 1931 ea/fard /7. 6%

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES METHOD OF MAKING SHAFTSFOR` GOLF CLUBS AND THE LIKE Leonard A. Young, Detroit, Mich.

Original application Oo 572,111. Divided and tober 30, 1931, Serial No.this application June 17,

1932. Serial No. 617,719

5 Claims.

This application is a division of my application for Letters Patent ledOctober 30, 1931, Serial No. 572,111, for Shafts for golf clubs and thelike and method of making.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a method of making shafts for golf clubs and the likewhich results in a highly satisfactory product and at the same timeresults in substantial economies.

Second, to provide a method of making metal shafts for golf clubs andthe like which permits being made in diameters closely approaching woodshafts as commonly employed and at the same time permits the desiredresilience.

Third, to provide a method for making golf club shafts and the likewhich results in shafts having the desired resilience without theobjectionable Whipping quite commonly found in metal shafts. l

Fourth, to provide a method of making shafts for golf clubs and the likewhich are well adapted to withstand torsional stresses to which they aresubjected in use.

Objects relating to details and economies of my invention will appearfrom the description to follow. A structure illustrating the steps andembodying the features of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a wood head golf club embodying a shaftproduced by my method.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a golf club shaft without the finish or gripthereon made in accordance with my method and illustrating certain,

features thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged cross sections' on lines 3-3 and 4 4respectively of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section on line 5--5of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank from which the shaft proper is formed,no attempt, however, being made to maintain proportions.

, In the accompanying drawing 1 represents a wood golf club head, 2 theshaft and 3 the grip. These parts are shown in Fig. l considerablyconventionalized.

My improved golf club shaft is formed of a strip-like blank 7 of sheetmetal, preferably tapered toward each end as shown in Fig. 6. This striphas an inwardly offset seam flange 4 formed on one longitudinal edgerolled into a tube with its opposite edge 5 overlapping as shown in Fig.4. Owing to the opposite taper of the blank the resulting tube istapered toward each end.

This tube is then spirally twisted as shown in Fig. 2 which results in aspiral positioning of the seam flange and also aspiral positioning ofthe grain of the metal. After the tube is twisted the overlapping partsare welded together as indicated at 6 and the tube is then properlytreated for hardening and tempering. Suitable tempering methods are wellunderstood by those skilled in the art.

With the shaft thus formed it is tapered toward both ends from the point8. The taper toward the head end 9 of the shaft is about threefourthsthe length of the shaft, and the taper toward the upper or grip end 10of the shaft is about one-fourth the length of the shaft. Theseproportions may be considerably varied. The shaft is preferably ofapproximately the same diameter at both ends. The overlapped joint partsserve as a torsion member and they are uniformly distributed about theshaft.

The grip 3 comprises a foundation 11 and a covering 12 of leather orother suitable material. The foundation is shown in the drawing as aonepiece internally tapered tube compensating for the upward taper ofthe grip portion of the shaft. When the grip is in position the shafthas the appearance of the usual type 'of golf club shaft tapered fromend to end.

To facilitate the attachment of the grip a wood tip 13 is afxed to theend of the shaft, this tip being adapted to receive the retaining screw14 for the cap 15by means of which the covering is secured at the outerend of the grip.

With the shaft thus formed there is a substantial yielding or resiliencein the grip end of the shaft which is very effective in absorbing theshocks of impact. This also makes it possible to make the shaft oflarger diameter, thereby more closely approaching wood shafts inappearance without destroying the `desired resilience. This resiliencemay be had without resulting in the objectionable whip quite commonlypresent in metal shafts. Further, the desired'i'lexibility may be hadwithout reducing the thickness at a point where breakage is likely tooccur, as is the case with golf shafts now quite largely used which areformed by drawing operations.

Y This method of manufacture results in a very uniform product and alsomay be very economically practiced. The tapering of the shaft towardeach end is, however, a desirable feature when embodied in shafts formedby drawing operations, orit is practical to form a shaft in sections,the portions 9 and 10 being separately formed and then united by asuitable joint as there is substantially no flexing at the point wherethe oppositely tapered portions join.

l have not attempted to illustrate the various parts in their relativeproportions such as the taper or gage of metal, and these may beconsiderably varied. It is believed, however, that this disclosure willenable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my improvements asmay be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what li claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The method of making shafts for golf clubs consisting of forming ablank tapered toward each end with an inwardly oiset seam ange on oneedge, rolling into a tube with one edge overlapping the inwardly offsetseam ange on the tempering.

2. The method of making shafts for golf clubs consisting of forming ablank tapered toward each end with an inwardly offset seam flange on oneedge, rolling into a tube with one edge overlapping the inwardly offsetseam flange on the other edge, spirally twisting, and tempering.

'other edge, spirally twisting, and securing the lapped edges together.

4. The method of making shafts for golf clubs and the like consisting offorming a blank with an inwardly offset seam flange on one edge, rollinginto a tube with one edge overlapping the inwardly onset seam flange onthe other edge, spirally twisting, welding the overlapped portions, andtempering.

5. The method of making shafts for golf clubs and the like consisting offorming a blank with an inwardly oset seam flange on one edge, rollinginto a tube of a single thickness with one edge overlapping the inwardlyoset seam ange on the other edge, spirally twisting, and welding theoverlapped portions.

LEONARD A. YONG.

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